There is still a buzz circulating through Burlington that is an aftereffect of Vermont’s run to the 2009 Frozen Four. The Catamounts already have a passionate fan base, but the town’s denizens and campus coeds have picked their intensity up a notch for the 2009-10 season.

Senior Brian Roloff has goals in both of the Catamounts' wins thus far.

The team is certainly noticing.

“Obviously, we created quite a buzz last year, but I’d say that people are more aware and on top of our season starting this year,” senior forward Brian Roloff said. “Just walking around the athletic facility, it just seems like everyone knows who we’re playing and what’s going on with the team, so that’s certainly exciting to see that people are following us.”

Vermont’s early-season play has been another cause for excitement around the team’s rink. The Catamounts split their opening-weekend series at top-ranked Denver which, despite blowing a two-goal lead in the third period of the first contest, is a pretty successful road trip. UVM backed that up by beating Boston College, 4-1, Sunday at Gutterson Fieldhouse.

Most notably, the Catamounts have been firing offensively, scoring 14 goals in three games. Roloff, who coach Kevin Sneddon said will drive the UVM offense this season, is one of five players on the team with two goals. During Vermont’s two victories, Roloff’s line has accumulated four goals and four assists, and he is definitely backing up Sneddon’s beliefs.

“I certainly would expect us to score more than we have the last couple of years just from a standpoint that it wouldn’t be a surprise if any line on the ice scored,” Roloff said.

Roloff wasn’t worried about Vermont’s defense, even after the Catamounts allowed nine goals in the two games against Denver. He chalked that up to a combination of early-season mistakes that won’t be an issue once the season progresses and the defense tightens up, which has been a staple of Sneddon’s winning formula during his seven seasons in Burlington.

This season, obviously, is already off to a different start. Vermont is coming off of its most successful campaign since entering Hockey East in 2005, and with a good chunk of the team back in Burlington, the goals are even higher this time around.

“I’m very happy with how we come back,” Roloff said. “There was a group of guys who stayed up here this summer, and you get a sense that there is some unfinished business. Certainly, we were happy with last season, but we didn’t get to our goal. We got a taste of it last year, and that just made everyone much more hungry for it this year.”